Toccoa-Stephens County Chamber of Commerce

Thursday 6-7-12

Hello this is Johnny Gailor – the Toccoa Stephens County Chamber of Commerce intern with your Weekly Chamber Update. 

TSPLOST stands for Transportation Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax. Stephens, along with 12 other counties, will vote on July 31 to determine if an additional one-cent sales tax will be levied to support road infrastructure and improvements.  Approval isn't by county. If Stephens County citizens vote against the idea, but a majority in the region are in favor, then the tax will be implemented. Similarly, if Stephens votes in favor of the road improvement tax, but it is not passed in the region, it will not be implemented.

Stephens has 2 projects. The first project is the State Route 17 Widening from 2 to 4 lanes from Scott Road north to the Veteran’s Parkway (or Toccoa By-Pass). The second project is the 365 extension from Wal-Mart to the South Carolina US123 bridge.

If voted in, Stephens will be a “recipient” county, meaning that the projects on the list will cost more than the anticipated revenue raised in Stephens from the additional one-cent tax. The tax will be in effect for ten years.           

The GA Chamber is spearheading the promotion and passage of TSPLOST for more jobs, safer roads and more control of the projects.  The campaign is called Connect Georgia and the web site is www.connectgeorgiamountains.com.

Your Chamber’s role is to be the Community’s source for information. We will share all the facts and figures we have so you are the most educated voters in the region. We will not take a "for" or "against" position. We want the citizens to make an informed vote.

The Chamber held the first T-SPLOST Forum this week and there will be another one next Thursday. The public is invited.  Come hear from the DOT, the state Regional Director for Connect Georgia, from our elected officials and from our local leadership. We will have handouts, project maps, project posters and other materials to distribute.  These forums will present facts and, hopefully, clear up these misconceptions.

The next Forum is on Thursday June 14^th at 12pm at the North Georgia Technical College, Currahee Campus. Arrive early as the Culinary School serves lunch for $7 starting at 11:30am.  

Please call the Chamber with your TSPLOST questions at 706-886-2132. We will post all the questions and answers on our Blog and Facebook page.   

I have two announcements for you today:

First - The Concerned Citizens of Toccoa-Stephens County are selling $3 raffle tickets for a chance to win a 55” flat screen Sony TV. All proceeds go to fight for clean air for our children and citizens and to stop the horrible smells coming from the Wilbros Plant. Tickets are available at the Chamber and Welcome Center.

Second – TODAY there is a Business After Hours at the First Citizens Bank downtown location at 5pm. Come see their new office renovations. The Jack Pot drawing is at 5:30pm and its up to $700. You must be present to win.

The chamber is the leading, private business association in our community. Members get visibility, referrals and assistance with business challenges. Membership is affordable and tax deductible. We are working together for a better Toccoa-Stephens County.       

That’s your weekly Update. I’m Johnny Gailor – your Toccoa Stephens County Chamber of Commerce Intern.